Elastic-fluid turbine



Feb. 24. 19.25. 1,527,635

v.1. H. DoRAN ELA'sTrc FLUID waarna Filed Jan. 23. 1924 Fig.)

UNITED STATES 1,527,635 PATENT OFFICE.,

JOHN H. DORAN, OF SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELEC'ERIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION O'F NEW YORK. f

nnns'rrcfrnmn TURBINE.

appncanon ined January 2a, 1924. serial No. 688,069.

To @Il .fwhom t may concern:

Beit known that I, JOHN H. DORAN, a

citizen of the United- States, residing at Schenectady, in the county of Schenectady,

State of New York, have invented certain Improvements in Elastic-Fluid Turbines, of

which the following is a specification.

The present invention `relates to elastic fluid turbines and particularly to turbines `intended to be operated by elastic Huid of a temperature and pressure. substantially higher than those in common use today. In constructin turbines for higher pressures, the walls o the casing must necessarily be made thicker and heavier and these thicker and heavier walls coupled with the higherl temperatures greatly magnify the problems of taking care of the'expansion and contraction of the parts due to changes. in tem-` erature in such manner as to keep the casing and shaft concentric so as not to adversely aifect the clearances of the ackings and other parte, and at the. same tune prevent unduly large stresses being set up in the casin y r ,The object of my invention is to provide an im roved arrangementfor fastening or ing; 4 indicates the elastic Huid admission Referring to the drawing, 3 indicates the casing of an elastic fluid turbine, the high pressure end only being shown in the drawconduit, and 5 indicates the shaft which at `the one end is journaled in a bearino' 6 supported by a bearing pedestal 7. T3earing pedestal 7 is mounted on a base 8. This construction so far described may be taken y as typical of'any suitable turbine structure.

how, according to my invention, I attach the high fessure end of the turbine casing to a fixe sup ort, in the present instance the bearing pe estal 7, by means of two sets -of connecting members, one set being rigid in a transverse direction and yieldable or flexible in a vertical direction and the other set being yieldable or flexible in a transverse direction and rigid in a vertical direction. Preferably each set 'comprises two members placed diametrically opposite to each other.

In the particular embodiment of my invention illustrated in the drawing, the one set of connecting members comprises two members 9 and k1() of I-beam section, one located labove shaft 5 and the other below shaft 5. The flanges of the Lbe'ams are bolted to the head of the turbine casing and to the b earing pedestal by bolts 11, the

webs being horizontal. Preferably the openings for bolts-11 are oversize as indicated at l2, the I-beams being centered by dowels 13 arranged yin the vertical lane of the axis of the shaft. This set o holds the casing rigidly against movement as a unit in a transverse direction but permits ofexpansion and contraction radially vin -`any direction. The other set of connecting members com l prises two members 14 and 15 of -Ibeam section one located at each side of shaft 5 and connected at one end to the casin at the horizontal plane of the axis of the s aft and at the other end tothe bearing pedestal. The web of the I-beam extends vertically and its upper ange is bolted directly to forward extensions 16 of the casing ange.

Preferably both the upper and lower casing flanges are extended forward so as to rovide a strong connection `and one whic is s mmetrical. This set of connections holds t e casing rigidly against movement as a unit in a vertical direction but permits of expansion and contraction radially in any direction.

The bearing pedestal is clamped baseY connections laV miv

8 by L-shaped clamps 17 which serve to hold i the pedestal' from sidewise or twisting-movement but permit it to move axially'. When theV turbine casing expands axially the bearing pedestal is free to move with it, the

arrangement thus permitting free axial expansion of the caslng.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that by my invention I provide a construction wherein the turbine casing is held rigidly from 4mnveme'nt as a unit so as to maintain the clearances but atthe same time it is permitted to bxpand radially in los' ' all directions without setting up excessive stresses in the casing. Furthermore, the construction is simple, can be made readily as strong as required and can be manufactured at a low cost.

In accordance Awith the provisions of the patent statutes, I have described theprinciple of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative and that the invention may be carried out by other means.

What Iclaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

l. In combination, a turbine casing, a support, and two sets of connecting members which attach the casing to the support, one set of connecting means being rigid in a transverse direction and yieldable in a vertical direction and the other set being rigid in a vertical direction and yieldable' in a transverse direction.

2. In combination, a turbine casing, a support, means rigid in a transverse direction and yieldable in a vertical direction connecting the casing on its vertical axis to the support, and means rigid in a vertical direction an-dyieldable in vatransverse di rection connecting the casing on its horizontal axis to the support.

3. In combination", a turbine casing, a shaft, a support for the shaft, and two sets of I-bealns connecting the casing to the support, one set being attached to the casing in the vert-ical plane of the shaft With its Webs horizontal and the other set being attached to the casing in the horizontal plane ofthe shaft with its Webs vertical.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 22nd day of January, 1924.

JOHN H. DURAN. 

